It Will Be Here Very Soon34 Days Until Early Voting And48 Days Until Primary Election Day

The March primary in Texas is rapidly approaching. It is critical that you vote and you vote informed. There are lots of choices and whom you put on the GOP ticket matters.

We want well-qualified candidates who have character, integrity and demeanor to make us all proud.

In 2016, our inept local campaign, led by embattled GOP Chair Paul Simpson resulted in 73 losses and no wins countywide. As a result the public elected some countywide Democrat officeholders or judges that were either inexperienced, not qualified or just plain lazy. Now, to be clear there are some good Democratic judges, but there are also some awful ones.

The problem in 2016 as far as the non-involved general public is that there was no information provided about the difference in the choices due to the non-information campaign, featuring the Simpson selected slogan "Harris County Works."

Trump Got It Right On Iran,Now If He Can Just Stop Stepping On His Message

TCR Comment: The following by journalist Daniel Greenfield tells the true story of the Iran Deal and its aftermath and how President Trump is telling it like it is. Now, if we can avoid the distractions created by the President himself, we can make major progress on public policy. It's past time to ditch the tweets and focus on a consistent message involving conservative public policy solutions to advance America forward.

"Months before the protests that are shaking the Islamic Republic of Iran began, President Trump stood before the entire world, at the United Nations and boldly declared that the terror regime would fall."

"As another day of protests begins, as the Islamist thugs of the IRGC face a choice between an outraged populace and a failing regime, his words in that September speech ring truer than ever. President Trump made clear, "The longest-suffering victims of Iran's leaders are in fact, its own people. Oppressive regimes cannot endure forever, and the day will come when the Iranian people will face a choice. Will they continue down the path of poverty, bloodshed, and terror? Or will the Iranian people return to the nation's proud roots as a center of civilization, culture, and wealth where their people can be happy and prosperous once again?

"Iran's Hassan Rouhani all but pleaded with Trump not to shut down the nuke deal that had funneled countless billions to regime and its political elites."

As columnist David Greenfield lays out, "President Trump decertified Iran's compliance with the nuclear deal and urged Congress to impose new sanctions. The IRGC, the regime's international and domestic terror force, was wit with terror sanctions. The media and the Obama echo chamber behind the deal forecast disaster."

"And so the wave of protests convulsing the terror state caught the media completely by surprise.

"But the media had dismissed Trump's remarks. It was still obsessed with Obama's radioactive legacy. The massive effort by the Iran Lobby, by Ploughshares, the Rockefeller Brothers Fund and by Obama had made protecting a totalitarian Islamist regime that repressed women and gays into a social justice cause. After the Iran Deal, mainstream media coverage of Iran began to closely echo that of the regime.

"And so it was no wonder that when the protest began, CNN and other media outlets were caught reprinting regime propaganda. After Obama's deal, the media had cut loose its opposition sources. Instead it cultivated regime sources who told the media exactly what it wanted to hear.

"The deal was working. The regime was becoming more moderate. The economy was booming. Yemen was starving because of the Saudi attacks. Hezbollah could become moderate if we only reached out to it. The Iranian people were happy. Trump's pressure would only unite Iranians against America.

"Obama and his cronies had turned our media into Iran's media. And when protests began, the media quoted Iranian government sources while ignoring the protesters fighting and dying in the streets. Those shameful early days were the legacy of the echo chamber that Obama's cronies had used to sell the deal.

"The Iran echo chamber managed by Ben Rhodes, the Obama crony who had boasted of how easy it was to manipulate the media, was still hard at work creating a fictional Iran united against Trump.

"Trump's crackdown on Iran wasn't making it stronger. It was weakening it. And now the cracks are here.

"Iran had used Obama's reign to invest in an unprecedented expansion of its capabilities. From its nuclear program to its backing for Shiite terrorist militias across the region, it spent big to take advantage of America's weakness. When Obama shut down sanctions, flew in billions personally and opened the door to even greater investments, those billions of dollars were reinvested into Iran's imperial project.

"Obama's advisers had told him that Iran would use the cash infusion to relieve the economic pain of the sanctions. The regime would become more popular. And Obama would atone for our foreign policy. But instead Iran took the money and poured it into the pockets of its elites and its wars around the region.

"And then Trump announced that the party was over.

"Iran responded with deeper cuts to subsidies for the population. Subsidies, ubiquitous to the region, can cover food and fuel prices, and cash payments to individual households. Meanwhile there was plenty of money for the Islamic elites and for the IRGC.

"When President Trump made it clear that he didn't care about salvaging the Iran Deal, the Supreme Leader lost the radioactive card that he had been playing so successfully against Obama.

"Obama had colluded with Iran by dismantling the DEA investigation of Hezbollah's narcoterrorism (revealed in Politico). He had spied on Israel and even on members of Congress to protect its nuclear weapons program. He allowed Iran to take over much of Iraq, Lebanon and Yemen. 500 Americans had been killed by Iranian weapons in Iraq and Afghanistan. But behind all of that appeasement was the specter of the deal.

"Trump signaled that the sanctions were coming back and that the free ride was over. And that it was up to the Iranian people to decide if they wanted to live this way. And if they made the right decision, America would stand with them. It was only a matter of time until the protests reached critical mass.

"The same con artists who sold us the Iran Deal are rehashing their old excuses for not backing the Green Movement. They're urging Trump to follow in Obama's footsteps and keep a low profile.

"How Can Trump Help Iran's Protesters? Be Quiet," is the title of an article tweeted out by Susan Rice. But President Trump isn't taking her advice. Instead he's standing up to the Iranian terrorist regime.

"The people are finally getting wise as to how their money and wealth is being stolen and squandered on terrorism. Looks like they will not take it any longer," President Trump tweeted.

"We will not repeat the shameful mistake of our past when others stood by and ignored the heroic resistance of the Iranian people," Vice President Pence vowed.

"While the media is still grappling with events in Iran, President Trump continues to lead the way.

"When Iranians last flooded into the streets, Obama chose their Islamic dictator over them. Trump is making it clear that this is not who we are. That's who Obama, Rice, Rhodes and their cronies are.

"In his rejection of Obama's dirty deal, President Trump laid out the real history of Iran.

"Iran is under the control of a fanatical regime that seized power in 1979 and forced a proud people to submit to its extremist rule," President Trump declared. "The regime violently suppresses its own citizens; it shot unarmed student protestors in the street during the Green Revolution.

"And now that's happening all over again.

"Carter and Obama sold out the Iranian people to the terrorist theocracy ruling over them. Trump won't."

Current HCRP Chair, The Swamp Leader (AKA Paul Simpson) Strikes Back, The Ongoing Saga Of His Efforts To Keep Paul Coselli Off The Ballot

We have now had two court orders allowing Paul Coselli to be on our primary ballot. Paul Coselli is a long-time Republican and an outstanding attorney, yet Paul Simpson continues the court fight to keep Coselli off the ballot.

Last week he appealed the trial court decision and the Court of Appeals said the trial court had no jurisdiction.

So the story continues, either way a fourth court will now be able to weigh in on this unnecessary battle.

Just remember, like John Kerry was for the Iraq war before he was against it, Paul Simpson accepted Paul Coselli's candidacy before and a week later changed his mind and said no.

Is it any wonder that the GOP under Paul Simpson has lost about 77 races in a row, counting the loss of Houston Community College and Houston Independent School District GOP leaning seats in 2017?

Incredibly and throwing history on its head, Simpson is spending HCRP time and money to keep a good conservative lawyer off the ballot. And remember this has never been done in the modern history of the HCRP.

We will keep you posted as to this ongoing saga, which tells you all you need to know about the critical importance for the GOP to send Simpson on his way out the door and elect a new chairman who will work for all Republicans, not just "the chosen insiders."

Essential Reading: The Strange Death Of Europe By Douglas Murray

TCR Comment: This riveting book describes the end of the modern European civilization coming soon and is a preview for what is coming to America. Thanks to GoodReads for the review:

"The Strange Death of Europe is a highly personal account of a continent and culture caught in the act of suicide. Declining birth rates, mass immigration, and cultivated self-distrust and self-hatred have come together to make Europeans unable to argue for themselves and incapable of resisting their own comprehensive alteration as a society and an eventual end."

"This is not just an analysis of demographic and political realities, it is also an eyewitness account of a continent in self-destruct mode. It includes accounts based on travels across the entire continent, from the places where migrants land to the places they end up, from the people who pretend they want them to the places which cannot accept them.

"Murray takes a step back at each stage and looks at the bigger and deeper issues which lie behind a continent's possible demise, from an atmosphere of mass terror attacks to the steady erosion of our freedoms. The book addresses the disappointing failure of multiculturalism, Angela Merkel's U-turn on migration, the lack of repatriation, and the Western fixation on guilt. Murray travels to Berlin, Paris, Scandinavia, Lampedusa, and Greece to uncover the malaise at the very heart of the European culture, and to hear the stories of those who have arrived in Europe from far away.

"This sharp and incisive book ends up with two visions for a new Europe--one hopeful, one pessimistic--which paint a picture of Europe in crisis and offer a choice as to what, if anything, we can do next. But perhaps Spengler was right: "civilizations like humans are born, briefly flourish, decay, and die."

Our Definition of Desperate,The Karahan Plea For Democrat Votes

Some things you just can't believe. The following post shows the desperation of an incumbent judge pleading for Democrat votes in his Republican primary race against conservative Dan Simons:

TCR's Next Five Endorsements

For the last few months we at TCR have been interviewing scores of candidates. We are impressed with the quality, diversity and significant amount of next generation candidates.

As we have for over a decade, we endorse the best and brightest, and tell you why. There is no quid pro quo, as our endorsements were given freely. We will as always publish an election guide, where advertising is open to all, but required of none.

Our next five:

U.S. Congress, CD-10 - Michael McCaul

Michael McCaul has had an extraordinary career working to protect the citizens of Texas. Before his election to Congress in 2004, McCaul served as Chief of Counter-Terrorism and National Security in the U.S. Attorney's office in Texas where he led the Joint Terrorism Task Force. He then served as Texas Deputy Attorney General before joining the Department of Justice as a federal prosecutor in the Public Integrity Section. In January 2013, Rep. McCaul became Chairman of the House Committee on Homeland Security where he has prioritized the threat of international and domestic terrorism, border security, cyber security, airport security and fixing dysfunctional management within DHS. During his tenure McCaul has been an effective leader and applied his extensive experience in the criminal justice system to help keep our nation safe from terrorist attacks. Most importantly he has been steadfast in his conservative principles working to ban earmarks and voting against bailouts, stimulus packages and Obamacare, all of which have consistently earned him the status as one of the most conservative members of the U.S. House of Representatives. It is difficult to imagine a more conservative, qualified or effective candidate in the 10th District.

Court of Criminal Appeals, Place 8 - Michelle Slaughter

Since being elected as the first Republican judge of the 405th District Court, Judge Michelle Slaughter transformed the court from the least efficient and least effective into the most efficient and most effective district court in Galveston County, Texas. During her time on the bench, Judge Slaughter has earned a reputation as a tough but fair judge who says, "a Defendant who is a violent or repeat offender does not deserve multiple chances before serving prison time." Judge Slaughter has the experience - she has disposed of thousands of felony criminal cases and has presided over hundreds of felony criminal jury trials - the judicial temperament and a no-nonsense approach that will make her an asset to her colleagues on the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and for her fellow Texans.

State Representative District 126 - Kevin Fulton

There is an interesting side story to the contest to replace Kevin Roberts - who is giving up his State Representative post to run for Congress in District 2 in the wake of Congressman Ted Poe's retirement - in that two of the three candidates are spouses of current or former elected officials. The third candidate and only one not leveraging his spouse's name to establish his or her own political career is Kevin Fulton, who is TCR's choice in District 126. Fulton is an Army war veteran and an attorney in private practice who is running on his own qualifications and experience, which includes lawsuits for religious freedom. Based on merit, not marriage, Fulton is the clear choice.

Judge 263rd Criminal District Court - Charles Johnson

Charles Johnson is a big man - big enough that he had a successful career in the National Football League (NFL) with teams that included the Denver Broncos, New York Giants and our own Houston Oilers before retiring to pursue a legal career. But bigger than his stature are his values. He says, "I grew up in a place in Texas where the majority of citizens were conservative people of faith and believers in a meritocracy; American values and plain hard work." Those values he says, along with a strong connection to his faith and family, guide his daily actions and are largely responsible for the success he has achieved. He also has a laser-like focus in his practice of the law - in the nearly two decades since opening his law firm, he has practiced criminal law exclusively, which makes him exceptionally qualified for the criminal district court he seeks. His practice is not only focused, but also prolific and diverse - Johnson has represented clients in 100 of Texas' 254 counties. When he is not in court, Johnson gives back to our community by representing clients pro bono as well as by speaking in local schools. Charles Johnson is not an average candidate by any means. In many ways he is larger than life and is just the kind of lawyer who will make an excellent addition to the Harris County District Courts.

Harris County School Trustee, Pos 4, Pct 3 - Josh Flynn

Josh Flynn is a longtime conservative political activist whose Republican grassroots credentials are without dispute. Flynn has for many years helped elect Republicans to office and advanced conservative issues as a Republican precinct chairman, State Republican Executive Committee member, party officer and delegate to numerous Senate District and State Republican conventions. His reputation among conservatives is sterling and TCR would expect that Flynn will do nothing to tarnish that reputation on the Harris County Department of Education. In fact, Flynn's many years of professional experience as an accountant, small business owner and former HCRP Treasurer will add great value to the HCDE, which is responsible for a $100+ million annual budget.

Watch Houston Newsmakers with Khambrel Marshall this Sunday, January 21st at 10:30 am on KPRC Houston Channel 2 with TCR Editor Gary Polland as they discuss the 2018 Texas political scene, President Trump and the Democrats.

Gary Polland is a long-time conservative and Republican spokesman, fund-raiser, and leader who completed three terms as the Harris County Republican Chairman. During his three terms, Gary was described as the most successful county Chairman in America by Human Events - The National Conservative Weekly. He is in his twenty-first year of editing a newsletter dealing with key conservative and Republican issues. The last sixteen years he has edited Texas Conservative Review. As a public service for the last 13 years, Gary has published election guides for the GOP primary, general elections and city elections, all with the purpose of assisting conservative candidates. Gary is also in his 15th year of co-hosting Red, White and Blue on PBS Houston, longest running political talk show in Texas history. Gary is a practicing attorney and strategic consultant. He can be reached at (713) 621-6335.